Efficiency or excuse? Unions push back as Scottish Government targets £1bn in cuts |
As the Scottish Government eyes £1bn in public sector “efficiencies,” unions warn that reform rhetoric is being used to mask deep and damaging cuts — with firefighters leading the charge for meaningful change, says Roz Foyer
As night follows day and as sure as the tides, when public finances are tight, a sparkly new public sector efficiency initiative will be launched by whichever government holds the reins of power, in whichever parliament.
Hitherto unthought of reforms will present themselves as obvious, a myriad of duplications in delivery will be discovered (or at least hinted at), more so-called ‘back-office staff’ will be ripe for the firing and of course, new tech will save the day. Last week, the Scottish Government summoned a range of public leadership bodies to discuss just this. The target saving is £1 billion.
The last time that the Scottish Government discovered that the public sector had the potential for massive efficiency reform coincided with public spending crisis which followed the great crash. There is a pattern here. Public services seem to be running fine until we don’t have enough money to run them, then we suddenly discover that they are inefficient.
Part of my objection to this is presentational. I have no problem with Government telling the people that public services are underfunded and that they must choose cuts or more taxes. Public need is growing and the issues to be tackled are more complex. Demographic change presents enormous challenges.........